


What Is Wrong with Another Sin?

by castielsangel_x



Category: Psych
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Partners to Lovers, Undercover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-20 17:37:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3659226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielsangel_x/pseuds/castielsangel_x
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lassiter and O’Hara are undercover, although she has no idea what his part in the case is. When she finds out, she sees him in a whole new light. Lassiet AU. [No Marlowe and no relationship with Shawn.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What Is Wrong with Another Sin?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Psych fan fiction and I ship Lassie x Juliet far too much for it to be considered normal. I'm not used to these characters so please be gentle, but feedback is always welcome.

**-x-**

The briefing of what was going down that night was simple; get in, blend in, keep an eye on the perp and find the kidnapped girls and stop them being sold. Chief Vick had her best officers on it and had all the information to know that the ‘sale’ of the young girls was going down at the strip club of one of the biggest drug smugglers in Santa Barbara. Catalina deSouza was wanted in many countries for the buying and selling of young girls and boys and if Juliet O’Hara had anything to say about it, she should have stayed where she was. She was to go in and act like a new customer, there for the entertainment (and who was Juliet to say no to a bit of man flesh on display). Chief Vick would be in a surveillance van out back with uniformed officers and Lassiter ... well, Juliet had no idea where Lassiter would be as he was briefed separately earlier in the day before he rushed off out of the department with his eyes downwards. Juliet had no idea what was happening with him. Maybe he was off the case completely? Maybe it was too much for him? These girls were young, too young in Juliet’s opinion. But it was their duty to save them. She pulled out her cell phone and scrolled through for a specific number before she pressed dial. Someone on the other end picked up, but she pulled the phone away from her ear quickly when she was almost deafened by classic rock music on the other end of the line. It was suddenly muted and there were voices before she was acknowledged.

“Jules, the whipped cream to my apple pie, what can I do for you?” Shawn Spencer said down the phone. She rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair at her desk.

“Hey Shawn, listen, are you in on this case? The chief didn’t say and it’s not like you not to be down here looking for something to do,” she asked and there was a pause at Shawn’s end of the phone and something that sounded like Gus’ whispering in the background. “Shawn?”

“Listen, Jules. We asked to be on the case. The chief told us if we got involved, she would personally see to it that we were shipped off to somewhere where no one would find us without any food and supplies. I used to think she liked us, but now I just think she wants us to suffer, so we’re staying away for this one,” Shawn said. Something in his voice was strange, causing Juliet to frown in confusion.

“Hmm.”

“What?”

“I dunno, Shawn, it’s just not like you to stay away when you’re told. You usually try to be more involved,” she said. “But hey, that’s fine. By the way, have you seen Carlton today?”

“No!” Shawn said, too quickly for Juliet’s liking. “No, nope, no Lassieface today, or yesterday, or you know, today.” There was more muffled whispering that she couldn’t make out and Juliet rolled her eyes again. So Shawn had definitely seen Carlton then.

“Goodbye, Shawn,” she said and hung up before pocketing her cell phone. Something was going on but she had no time to find out. She had to be at the club in less than three hours with four other plain clothes female officers, as not to arouse suspicion. Better get to it then O’Hara, she thought to herself. She stood up and turned to her fellow officers. “Okay guys, listen up. We’re all clear on where we need to be and what needs to happen. We need weapons concealed to the best of our ability and we will all be able to communicate with each other, with the chief listening in from behind the establishment. I have no idea where Detective Lassiter is in this case, so at the moment, I will be trying to lead the best I can, without his guidance,” she said. That was the terrifying part. Carlton was always there to offer his advice and sometimes make fun of her, which she was used to, but not to have him there with her unnerved her a little, even though she was good at her job. “So, let’s get to it. Ladies, we need to suit up.”

**-x-**

Suiting up was the easy part. Concealing their weapons under barely-there dresses was not. But two hours and forty-three minutes after their talk at the department, O’Hara led her small party of officers into the club, which was pounding with classic rock music. The place was sparkling clean, unlike other places where drug lords hung out, and full of customers, both sober and drunk. Juliet gave the place a quick sweep; dancers on stage, drooling men and women at the tables. Sounds about right for this kind of place. She approached the bar and gave her fake name, Molly Rodgers, and was shown to a table right down the front which had RESERVED written on a placard for them. They ordered a drink so not to look suspicious. “Okay, this is our chance to bust this bitch and shine, girls,” Juliet said to the other officers, a couple looking nervous. God, where was Carlton when she needed his support?

“Chief, you hear us?”

“Loud and clear, O’Hara,” came the reply through her ear piece.

“Drinks for you, ladies,” came a voice behind and Juliet turned, her eyes widening when she saw Shawn Spencer carrying the tray of drinks to them, smart white shirt and black slacks with newly polished shoes, an apron round his waist with the name of the establishment on it. Juliet gaped for a moment, staring at Shawn, who shook his head gently as if to say ‘oh please don’t rat me out, I’ll explain later.’ He placed a drink in front of each of them and tucked his tray under his arm and departed, Juliet watching him go.

“O’Hara, he’s in on this too ...” Chief Vick said through the ear piece. “I gave Spencer and Guster a side briefing for a reason.”

“What reason?” she said, looking at the other four officers who sat with her, all of them looking as confused as the other.

“You’ll see soon enough, now focus,” she said and that was the end of the conversation. She turned back to the stage suddenly when the music stopped and the current dancers departed, stunned when she saw a very suave looking Gus walking on with a microphone. She started at him for a moment. What in the name of sweet justice was going on?

“Hello ...” Gus said into the microphone, his voice deep and gravelly, making Juliet roll her eyes once more. “Welcome everyone to your main entertainment for the evening. Now, as a warning, our next performer is new to the establishment but he’s here and ready to give you a good time, ladies.” Juliet noted the amusement on Gus’ face and looked over at Shawn back at the bar, who was biting his lip to keep from laughing. She turned back to the stage to see the silhouette of a man appear at the back of the stage, getting himself in position as Gus kept speaking.

“Karen, what’s going on? What are Shawn and Gus doing here?” Juliet whispered. She heard the chief sigh into the earpiece.

“I’ll explain later. Keep your focus, O’Hara,” she said and Juliet looked back up at Gus who was now walking off stage. She was so confused. Then the lights went down and the silhouette against the backdrop moved forward. Then the music started, loud and booming through the semi-crowded room. Juliet knew the song well, one she loved a lot. The lights came on the stage, tacky flashing lights and one single white light that illuminated the performer in his well-fitted police outfit. His head was bowed and Juliet could make out the leg of a pair of sunglasses tucked behind one ear, his salt and pepper hair shaved in close to his neck. Wait, what? Shawn and Gus were here, so did that mean that they weren’t on the inside alone? Juliet brought her hand up to her mouth in shock as the performer lifted his head to the audience, the chiselled jaw and familiar smirk of the Head Detective of the Santa Barbara Police Department right there in front of her.

“Oh my god, Carlton!” she said to herself.

“O’Hara, focus,” Chief Vick said in her ear. Juliet stared at her partner, his foot tapping to the music as if waiting for his cue. Then his hips began to move and Juliet was sure she was going to have a nosebleed there and then. She looked at the other four women she sat with as realisation dawned on them, their mouths falling open at the fact Head Detective Carlton Lassiter was going to take off his clothes. Juliet turned to him again just as the lyrics started, her heart banging in her chest.

_It’s early morning, the sun comes out,_  
_Last night was shaking and pretty loud,_  
_My cat is purring and scratches my skin,_  
_So what is wrong with another sin?_

Carlton was something else. He strutted down the catwalk between the two sides of the room to the music like he was born to do it. His hips rotated and gyrated and he danced like he had been doing it forever. Juliet was in awe of her partner. The woman in the audience cheered and whistled and it seemed to give Carlton more confidence. His long, lanky body was graceful and elegant (as much as it could be given he was going to start stripping) and Juliet found herself falling a little bit in love with him. Then his fingers moved to his buttons on his police shirt and he began to pull them open, slowly, revealing his glorious chest hair, inch by sweet inch. Women drooled and held up their money as the shirt opened further until he was sliding it down off his shoulders, which were minus gun holsters for the first time ever. Carlton was ripped and it was glorious. She looked back up at his face, noting he’d taken off his sunglasses and was staring straight at her. Her cheeks felt flushed but she couldn’t look away. The shirt was then fully off and he threw it into the audience, a woman catching it and bringing it to her face to take in Carlton’s scent. Bitch, Juliet thought to herself. Then the detective was moving down into the audience and Juliet’s heart jumped into her throat.

“O’Hara, he’ll come to you. It’s the only way to pass on information. Make it good,” Chief Vick said in her ear. Juliet swallowed hard.

“Yes, chief,” she said, her voice hitching a little as she watched Carlton almost sit down on a woman’s lap and rotate his hips, her hands running round his hips and touching as much flesh as she could. Juliet’s insides were on fire. The woman then pushed the bill she had in her hand into Carlton’s belt and he got off of her with a wink before moving on to another lucky woman. She noticed him take in the room as he danced, his eyes keeping check on everything that was going on. She took a deep breath, willing her stomach to stop doing gymnastics and settle when she noticed that he was on his way round to their table. “Oh god.” He made it round to the table next to their table first, sitting down on some middle aged woman’s lap, whose face turned scarlet as she shoved a twenty dollar bill into his pants. She had a good feel at him, making O’Hara’s vision green with jealousy. Everyone kept cheering and whistling for him before he finally arrived in front of Juliet. She swallowed hard, putting on a smile to try and look less suspicious. Carlton put both hands on the back of her chair, either side of her, before he straddled her lap, his hips moving sinfully to the music.

_My body’s burning, it starts to shout,_   
_Desire is coming, it breaks out loud,_   
_Lust is in cages til storm breaks loose,_   
_Just have to make it with someone I choose._

“Two armed heavies at the entrance and the staff entrance to the bar. DeSouza arrived eight minutes ago. I’m ninety-nine point nine percent sure hostages are in her office,” Carlton whispered as he moved on Juliet’s lap. He took her hands in his own and placed them on his chest, making her run her fingers through his chest hair and over his nipples. Juliet’s breath caught in her throat as she touched him, feeling his heart beat hammer against his chest.

“Got it,” Chief Vick said into her ear, startling her gently. She took a fifty dollar bill from her bra and she went to tuck it into his belt when he began to undo the damn thing. “Officers entering the building from the back, checking out DeSouza’s office.” Carlton bit his lip as he watched Juliet, quickly taking off his police hat and putting it down on Juliet’s head, just as she stuck the fifty into the waistband of his pants. He gestured for her to pull his belt out of the loops and she did, holding it in her lap before he got off her and winked before heading back to the stage. Juliet let go of the breath she didn’t know she had been holding and turned to the other women she was with. They all looked so amused. Juliet gripped the belt that was on her lap, feeling the weight of the hat on her head and smelt Carlton’s aftershave lingering in the air. God, the things he did to her. Then everything fucked up. Gunshots were heard throughout the establishment and everyone began screaming and dropping to the floor so they didn’t get shot. Juliet and her fellow officers got to their feet, hauling guns out of their thigh holsters when Catalina DeSouza came running out of where Juliet presumed was her office.

“SBPD, freeze, DeSouza,” Carlton’s voice came loud and clear over the room. Juliet turned and saw him on stage, gun in one hand (God only knows where he had been hiding that) and a microphone in other. The music stopped and the front door burst open and more uniformed officers filtered in, led by Chief Vick, stopping DeSouza in her tracks. “You are under arrest for the trafficking of young boys and girls. You do not have to say anything ...” Carlton was cut off when DeSouza suddenly whirled round on the spot and pulled the trigger of her gun, the bullet seeming to travel in slow motion across the room, embedding itself in Carlton’s shoulder with enough force to knock him off the stage. He dropped his gun and microphone and toppled backwards into one of the tables, the pain unbearable.

“Carlton!” Juliet called out, as uniformed officers rounded on DeSouza, tackling her to the floor and cuffing her. Juliet gave up on her and climbed over the catwalk of the stage to the other side where Carlton was lying in a heap, clutching his injured shoulder, his eyes heavy and tired looking.

“O’Hara,” he said, gently and with a smile. “We got her?”

“Yeah, we got her. You’re gonna be okay. It’s a just your shoulder. You got your ankle stuck in a bear trap for God’s sake, you can get through a bullet to the shoulder,” she said. He smiled gently and nodded. She could hear Shawn over the other side of the room, going over his theory of what actually happened for them to know the hostages were here.

“Just tired, O’Hara,” he said, his face contorted with pain. “Sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?” she asked, grabbing napkins off the table next to her to press to his wound, trying to mop up some of the blood, when Gus suddenly appeared at her side.

“What my job was in this case,” he said. “I was embarrassed to tell you. I thought you’d laugh at me, or try and stop me. I had to get in.”

“Shh, we’ll talk about it later,” she said. She looked up at Gus. “Call paramedics, Gus. We need to get him out of here.”


	2. Chapter 2

**#2**

Juliet let out a huge yawn as she sat in Carlton’s hospital room. The walls were too white and stung her tired eyes, yet she found she could not close them to sleep. She watched her partner’s chest rise and fall as he slept after his surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder. The bullet had gone deep and he’d lost a lot of blood but he was stable and alive and that was all that mattered to Juliet. She hadn’t been home, not since the bar. She still wore the same dress yet her hair had been scraped back into a messy ponytail, in desperate need of a wash. Standing from her seat, she moved to the side of Carlton’s bed, sitting on the edge and sliding her hand into his own. His fingers were warm and comforting against her own. Then his hand tightened around hers slightly and she smiled, his eyes flickering slightly before he opened them, his tired eyes taking a few moments to focus before they found hers. He stared at her for a moment before he smiled gently.

“Juliet,” he said, his voice a little hoarse from sleep. She smiled back, not admitting that her heart began beating hard against her chest when he called her by her first name.

“Hi, Carlton,” she said, gripping his hand a little tighter. “How’d you feel?” He moved a little on the bed to get comfortable but his face twisted in pain when he pulled slightly on his wound as he moved.

“Could be better,” he said. “What happened? We got DeSouza, right?” Juliet smiled; always thinking about the job, was Carlton.

“Yeah, we got her. The hostages are safe and well too. Two police officers injured in the gun fight in DeSouza’s office but they were only minor flesh wounds. DeSouza decided to put a bullet in you before we got her though, but you’re alive and that’s all that matters,” she said. ‘To me’ was left unsaid but now was not really the time. He nodded gently, closing his eyes again. They sat in each other’s company, in comfortable silence for a while, making Juliet think he’d fallen asleep again before he spoke.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about what I was doing,” he said, opening his eyes again. She shifted up the bed a little, resting their clasped hands in her lap. “I knew we needed a way in and I didn’t know what to do. Then Spencer mentioned something about getting in as workers. Rock, paper, scissors decided who would do what; Spencer is an ass.” Juliet smiled brightly, imagining Carlton doing rock, paper, scissors to decide who was gonna be the one to take their clothes off.  “I had three days to learn something to dance to. Guster taught me a routine and, god help me, I picked it up pretty quickly.”

“Gus taught you how to dance?” she asked, biting her lips so she didn’t giggle.

“He’s very good. Anyway, I was in contact with Chief Vick when I got to the bar. I tried to scout the place before I was due to go on stage,” he said. “I heard muffled crying from DeSouza’s office but was almost caught by one of her heavies so I had to go to the stage. Then you know the rest.” Juliet nodded.

“You gave me a lap dance!” she said and if his face could have gotten any redder, then it would have.

“I apologise but it was the only way to get information to you. I didn’t know what else to do,” he said. He couldn’t look her in the eyes as he said that but she reached out and cupped his cheek gently, making his eyes meet hers again.

“Don’t apologise,” she whispered. “I ...” she cleared her throat, unable to get the words out. “I liked it, Carlton.” The head detective’s brow furrowed in confusion. Juliet looked down at their clasped hands, running her index finger over his knuckles before she brought it up to her lips, kissing the back of his hand. “I keep going over the scenario in my head of what if it hadn’t been your shoulder she shot? What if she’d got you somewhere more fatal? Somewhere that would have made you bleed out and die in front of me. This job scares me sometimes. I’m scared I’ll lose you.”

“O’Hara ...”

“Use my name, Carlton,” she said. He stared at her for a moment.

“Juliet ...” he said and she smiled gently. “You know our job is dangerous but I’m not going anywhere without a fight. You should know that by now.” She nodded. Their eyes met again and they stared at each other for a few moments before Juliet made a decision and leaned down to meet his lips with her own, the soft press of lips together enough to make every nerve ending in her body ignite. She felt him tense slightly before he melted underneath her lips, kissing her back gently. She held his hand tightly between their bodies as they softly kissed. Juliet pulled back first, Carlton’s head moving with her as if he didn’t want to part with her. She pressed her forehead to his.

“I’m glad you’re safe,” she said. Suddenly, the clearing of someone’s throat made them both turn to see Buzz McNab standing in the doorway, looking positively embarrassed to have caught them.

“Detective O’Hara, Chief Vick needs you back at the department for debriefing,” he said, trying to ignore the daggers that Detective Lassiter was throwing him. Juliet nodded and turned back to Carlton, pressing another quick kiss to his lips, much to Carlton’s surprise.

“I’m gonna go just now, but I’ll be back later,” she said and Carlton nodded. Juliet stood and was reluctant to release his hand, eventually letting go and picking up her purse and a police hat, which made Carlton smile gently, knowing full well it was the one _he_ put on her head at the bar. She gave him one last quick glance and smile before following Buzz from the room, leaving him there by himself. He watched her go, not wanting to be left alone in a hospital room. But she’d be back to get him, she said as much. He suddenly wondered where that kiss had come from, when they stopped being ‘just partners’. Carlton knew how he felt for Juliet on a professional level, but as for personal, he’d never really thought about it before. He liked the kiss. He’d like to kiss her again and there was a chance she felt the same. He sighed gently into the silence of the room. _Just a matter of waiting,_ he thought to himself, closing his eyes once more.

**-x-**

It had been two weeks since Carlton’s shooting; two weeks since she had faced a fear and kissed her partner in the middle of his hospital room; two weeks since she had picked him up from said hospital and taken him home, helping him out as much as she could before she left him to sleep; two weeks since she had seen him last. Work got in the way but he was always at the other end of the phone and she knew that. He would text her every now and then, helping her with cases on the phone, but they hadn’t seen each other since. His phone calls and messages always made her smile but she wanted – _needed_ – to see him in person. She yawned as she finished the report she was writing, putting her cell phone away in her purse before shutting off her computer and standing.

“Off home, O’Hara?” Chief Vick asked, and Juliet nodded. “Before you do, can I see you for a moment?” Juliet found herself frowning before she followed the chief into her office. She closed the door behind her and moved to sit in front of the chief’s desk.

“Everything okay, Chief?” she asked, her stomach suddenly feeling really unsettled.

“How’s Carlton?” she asked and Juliet smiled gently at the mere mention of his name, despite herself.

“As far as I know, he’s doing really well. He’s on the mend but he’s bored stiff,” she said. She frowned suddenly. “Why? Has he called her? Is he okay?”

“O’Hara, calm down! He hasn’t called,” Chief Vick said. She paused for a few moments before she leaned forward in her seat, elbows on her desk with her hands clasped. “I need to ask you and I need you to be honest with me, as an officer of the law.” Juliet’s eyes widened slightly but she nodded. “I just need to know what the nature of your relationship with Carlton is.” Her voice was firm, making Juliet’s stomach knot unexpectedly. She turned her head to look out the window of the office at McNab, who looked away the moment her eyes landed on his. “Buzz didn’t tell me directly, O’Hara. I think you know him better than that. He was, for want of a better word, ‘gossiping’ with other recruits and I heard him. I don’t think he intended for me to hear.” Juliet felt her face turn scarlet. Chief Vick stared at her for a few moments before she sat back in her chair again. “Juliet?”

“I kissed him, Karen, in the hospital. But we’re not in a relationship,” she said, her voice steady.

“Yet,” Karen said, the word Juliet had left out on purpose. “Listen, O’Hara, I’ve worked in this field long enough to have seen interoffice romances succeed to the point of marriage and kids, but I have also seen them crash and burn, ending in transfers and resignations. It’s a horrible thing to watch an office affair fall apart in front of your eyes. I know you and Carlton, in my opinion, pretty damn well and I trust you both to know what you are doing and to be careful. As for this conversation, we didn’t have it. I don’t know anything. Am I clear?” Juliet felt the knot in her stomach slowly coming undone, a smile appearing on her face, Chief Vick sporting a small smile of her own.

“What conversation?” Juliet asked and the chief nodded her head at Juliet.

“You’re dismissed, detective. Give Carlton my best wishes,” she said before picking up her pen and going back to her report. Juliet all but skipped out of the office and grabbed her purse and jacket before planting a huge kiss on McNab’s cheek on the way past before she ran for the door and straight out to her car. She took a deep breath before she started the engine. She quickly pulled out her phone and called Carlton, who answered after the second ring.

“Lassiter.” His voice was sleepy and deep, making gooseflesh appear on her body.

“Hi, it’s Juliet,” she said gently and she could almost hear his smile from the other end of the phone.

“Hey. Is everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes, perfect. I’m coming over, if that’s alright, and was wondering if you needed anything?” she asked, pulling down the visor and checking her make up in the mirror before she unclipped her hair and let it cascade over her shoulders. “You had dinner? I could bring us something.”

“Dinner sounds great. I don’t need anything. My mother and Althea came by with some groceries a couple of days ago,” he said. “ _Your_ company is all I need.” Juliet felt herself blush. “And you pick the food; you know what I like.”

“Sure thing, partner. See you soon,” she said before hanging up the phone and putting it back in her purse. She belted up and drove away like her life depended on it.

**-x-**

Soon enough, Juliet stood outside his door, fluffing her hair with one hand and a bag full of food in the other hand. She took a deep breath and she knocked. She barely had her fist against the door in a second knock when the door opened and Carlton stood there, looking so attractive in his everyday clothes. The jeans he wore hugged him perfectly and his shirt was as blue as his eyes and had the top three buttons undone, showing off plenty of his chest hair that made Juliet salivate. He also smelt absolutely delicious. She smiled brightly at him, even though the nerves were getting the better of her.

“Someone order a home delivery?” she asked, holding up the food bag with a grin. Carlton stepped back and let her enter.

“Nice of you to come by, partner,” he said, closing the door behind her, taking the bag from her and leading her to the kitchen. Juliet followed, kicking off her heels in the hallway so not to mark his beautiful flooring. It made her so much shorter than Carlton too, which she loved. When she entered the kitchen though, she did not expect to see a table set up specifically for two, wine chilling in a bucket with candles on the table. She bit her lip before she turned to Carlton, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

“Expecting someone?” she joked. Carlton looked at her in all seriousness.

“Only you, Juliet,” he said. She watched him gather plates for their meal, before he began emptying the Chinese take-out containers onto their separate plates, knowing exactly whose was what without ever having to ask. “Sit down; I’ll be with you in a second.” Juliet nodded and took a seat at the table.

“How’s your shoulder, Carlton?” she asked him as she picked up the wine from the bucket, pouring them a glass each. She watched Carlton serve up their food, licking his thumb when a smear of sweet and sour sauce ended up on it. She bit her lip as she watched his tongue clean the digit, feeling her breath catch in her throat.

“It’s getting there. I’ve still got to take my meds when there’s pain, but I don’t have to wear the sling anymore unless it gets really painful. I’ve got to exercise it a bit,” he said, disposing of the empty food cartons and bringing the plates over to the table. He put one down in front of Juliet before he sat down with his own food, picking up his wine glass. He held it out to Juliet. “Cheers.” Juliet picked up her own glass and touched it to Carlton’s before they both took a sip. They watched each other over the rims of their glasses before they were lowered to the table again and both detectives began to eat. The silence was comfortable for a while before Carlton expressed interest in the cases she had been working, asking how Dobson was getting on in his place in the time he had been gone.

“He’s not you,” was all she said about it. Carlton smiled into his wine glass as he took another sip. The rest of the conversation circled around cases and what he had missed at work.  Their chat was comfortable and familiar and Juliet didn’t realise how much she had missed him until now. “Tell me something about yourself; something that you’ve done that you haven’t told me.” Carlton looked thoughtful for a moment before he chuckled lightly to himself.

“I, er, I took a pole dancing lesson for the DeSouza case,” he said and he laughed harder when she the wine she had been drinking almost came down her nose. Her eyes widened both at the admission and at the sound of his laughter. “Only Spencer and Guster know this and I told them if it ever got out, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot them in a dark alley.”

“Carlton Lassiter took a _pole dancing_ lesson?” Juliet asked and he nodded. “I would love to have seen that.”

“The teacher told me I was a natural. Got the upper body strength and the legs for it, apparently,” he said and Juliet laughed. Carlton couldn’t help but smile as she laughed; the sound was music to his ears. “Now it’s your turn. Tell me something I don’t know.” He put down his fork on his plate and sat back in his chair. She was still for a moment before she spoke.

“Shawn asked me out on a date, the day after your shooting,” she told him. He paused for a moment, staring at her. She couldn’t look at him.

“Oh,” was all he managed at the time before he fidgeted in his seat. He cleared his throat, his stomach suddenly knotting and he felt sick. “That’s ... that’s ... what did you say to him?” _Well Carlton, you’re well and truly fucked now_ , he thought to himself.

“I said that I was touched that he wanted to take me out. But I couldn’t because ...” she said before she stopped, taking a deep breath.

“Because ...?” he asked, his palms beginning to sweat and his heart began to beat faster. She reached over the table and took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together.

“Because I was already in love with someone else,” she said, smiling gently. He looked down at their hands, seeing how well they went together. They fitted like the perfect pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and he never wanted to let her go.

“With me?” he asked, even though he knew he didn’t have to.

“No, with _McNab_. Of course with you, silly,” she said and she felt tears coming to her eyes. “You’re my partner and my best friend and everything a girl could wish for in her life. Sure, there are times where you are grumpy and I really just want to slap you stupid for being a moody asshat, but I want to be the one to put a smile on your face again when you’ve had a bad day, or to look after you when you’re sick. I want to be yours, Carlton Lassiter,” she said. Carlton stood quickly from his seat and he pulled her up from hers, against his body. She was smaller without her heels on but he held her against him before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Juliet responded immediately, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back soundly. His lips were a sin and she knew there was nothing wrong with another sin. His hands had pulled her tucked shirt out of her skirt and they were resting half on the waistband and half on her skin. Their tongues touched and she moaned against his lips, making him press himself closer before he pulled his lips away.

“Juliet ... God, Juliet,” he whispered. “What about at work? We can’t get caught.”

“Karen has given us her blessing,” she said and at his confused face, she shook her head. “I’ll explain everything later. Right now, you, Detective Lassiter, need to take me to bed for a thorough investigation.” She ran her hands up his chest and round his neck again, playing with the short hairs at his neck.

“Hmm, I’m sure that can be arranged,” he said and he took her hand, leading her through his home to his bedroom. _Hmm_ , she thought, _definitely nothing wrong with another sin_.


End file.
